'Zombie movies are overrated.'
'So... basically The Walking Dead?'
'Everyone's just gonna die in the end.'
This was what everyone, including me, initially thought when I heard about 'another zombie movie' showing in theaters. But boy was I wrong about Train to Busan.
For the average movie-goer, Train to Busan might seem as your typical zombie movie, just set in a more creative location (i.e. a train). However, it managed to transcend the subgenre -- managing to showcase a mix of thriller, action, and drama for the audience.
Kudos to the South Korean film industry for finally showing us a no-holds-barred zombie film, set within the confines of South Korean culture. It was really shocking for me to see a South Korean movie of that caliber, what with all the South Korean romantic-comedy tv series I had watched. (I'm not saying they're bad because obviously they're really good! I just was used to seeing South Korean actors act a bit light, and not within the depth of acting the Train to Busan actors showcased.)
While lacking in on-screen gore, the movie made up for it with stunning effects, excellent cinematography, and developed (and lovable) characters. It just goes to show that zombie movies can do well even without showing too much blood and torn-up flesh.
One thing I liked about the movie is that it managed to tell the stories of the different characters without losing the main narrative. Each character was unique, driven by their own reasons to survive, even teaming up with unlikely partners. Add to this the dynamic of the different characters with each other, and you have a set of extremely lovable and relatable people -- which makes seeing them die in unpretty ways one by one really painful for the audience.
The pace was fast -- leaving no time for the audience to breathe (and that's a good thing!). The sequences were perfect and stunning, dragging the audience into a whirlwind of breathlessness and adrenaline with each step.
Another incredibly amazing thing about the movie is the cinematography. Having watched a lot of hollywood movies, I can say that this movie is at par with the likes of those, even better. The different imagery and shots were beautifully done. Moreover, the special effects were a solid 10/10. The team really left no space for imperfection in producing all the visual effects -- from the piling up of the sprinting undead, to splatters of blood on unsuspecting victims, to tunnel darkness effects. Everything about the visuals of the film was absolutely well-done.
Over-all, the film was a wild ride from start to finish. It made maximum use of the train setting, which, to say, was impressive. The horror, action, and drama elements were mixed in at the right degrees, and the jumpscares were appropriate and not too cheesy. It was scary and awesome at the same time. It made you tear up when you have to, it made you laugh when you have to, and even made you cringe when you have to. This film is certain to be a classic in later years.
Another incredibly amazing thing about the movie is the cinematography. Having watched a lot of hollywood movies, I can say that this movie is at par with the likes of those, even better. The different imagery and shots were beautifully done. Moreover, the special effects were a solid 10/10. The team really left no space for imperfection in producing all the visual effects -- from the piling up of the sprinting undead, to splatters of blood on unsuspecting victims, to tunnel darkness effects. Everything about the visuals of the film was absolutely well-done.
Over-all, the film was a wild ride from start to finish. It made maximum use of the train setting, which, to say, was impressive. The horror, action, and drama elements were mixed in at the right degrees, and the jumpscares were appropriate and not too cheesy. It was scary and awesome at the same time. It made you tear up when you have to, it made you laugh when you have to, and even made you cringe when you have to. This film is certain to be a classic in later years.
Having been a fan of several zombie movies through the years, I already developed a palate for them. With the likes of 28 Days Later, World War Z, Dawn of the Dead, and [REC], zombie movies solidified itself as a very prominent subgenre of horror movies.
The zombie craze all started with George Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968). The idea of flesh-eating, undead humans was too exciting an idea during the 60's, what with the continued success of horror movies featuring monsters such as The Curse of the Werewolf (1961), Frankenstein, and Dracula, with its sequels and remakes. However, with the dawn of the 80's and 90's, which heavily used the slasher subgenre of horror, zombies were left to rot in memory.
Come the 2000's, zombie movies were reinvented. With the success of 28 Days Later, zombies were rebooted as the rabid, running wild type as seen in Train to Busan and World War Z. Gone were the slow-walking zombies originally thought out by Romero.
Eventually, zombies even made their way into video games, with the success of the Resident Evil series, Left 4 Dead, Dead Island, and Call of Duty (there's a zombie mode!). It also found success in literature, with the likes of The Enemy.
Most recently, zombies were brought to the small-screen through the success of The Walking Dead. Shifting the plot from survival to finding out how to live post-apocalypse, the show was a major hit. It even got a spin-off, Fear the Walking Dead.
The good thing about the zombie subgenre, is that it managed to break free from the horror stereotype. Over the years, many visionaries managed to incorporate the zombie subgenre into different film and TV series subgenres, most of the time successful. In drama, The Walking Dead, Maggie, and World War Z are notable. In action, Resident Evil is a success. It was even made into comedy and satire movies such as Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland. Even weirder (but all the same quite successful), it was infused into romance, with Warm Bodies, and mystery and crime, with iZombie.
This continued reinvention of the subgenre is one of the reasons why the zombie subgenre continues to exist. There are still a lot of aspects of the subgenre that can be explored in the future, and there are certainly still a lot of stories to tell.
The recent success of Train to Busan reminded us of just how high the zombie subgenre can go, even going back to its horror roots. This movie ensured the future of the subgenre as one of still relevant and most-sought after movie subgenre.
Come the 2000's, zombie movies were reinvented. With the success of 28 Days Later, zombies were rebooted as the rabid, running wild type as seen in Train to Busan and World War Z. Gone were the slow-walking zombies originally thought out by Romero.
Eventually, zombies even made their way into video games, with the success of the Resident Evil series, Left 4 Dead, Dead Island, and Call of Duty (there's a zombie mode!). It also found success in literature, with the likes of The Enemy.
Most recently, zombies were brought to the small-screen through the success of The Walking Dead. Shifting the plot from survival to finding out how to live post-apocalypse, the show was a major hit. It even got a spin-off, Fear the Walking Dead.
The good thing about the zombie subgenre, is that it managed to break free from the horror stereotype. Over the years, many visionaries managed to incorporate the zombie subgenre into different film and TV series subgenres, most of the time successful. In drama, The Walking Dead, Maggie, and World War Z are notable. In action, Resident Evil is a success. It was even made into comedy and satire movies such as Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland. Even weirder (but all the same quite successful), it was infused into romance, with Warm Bodies, and mystery and crime, with iZombie.
This continued reinvention of the subgenre is one of the reasons why the zombie subgenre continues to exist. There are still a lot of aspects of the subgenre that can be explored in the future, and there are certainly still a lot of stories to tell.
The recent success of Train to Busan reminded us of just how high the zombie subgenre can go, even going back to its horror roots. This movie ensured the future of the subgenre as one of still relevant and most-sought after movie subgenre.
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